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Please add updates or make corrections to the NumisWiki text version as appropriate.Faustina Senior [or Faustina I] (Annia Galeria) designated by numismatists sometimes by the name of Faustina the mother, sometimes by that of Faustina the elder, was born in Rome AD 105 under the reign of Trajan. She was daughter of Marcus Annuis Verus, a man of consular rank, prefect of Rome, paternal grandfather of Marcus Aurelius. Having married Antoninus Pius whilst she was still a private citizen, she received from the senate the title of Augusta shortly after the death of Hadrian, as her husband did that of Pius. She did not. however, long enjoy her honours, dying in the third year of the reign of Antonine AD 141, according to Capitolinus; whose record is confirmed by a marble published by Muratori, which speaks of Faustina as already Diva in the fourth tribunate of Antonine. According to a marble of Gruter's, she was 36 years, three months, and eleven days old when she died. Capitolinus is severe upon the levity of her conduct; but he also states that Antonine did his utmost to conceal her irregularitties, though at the expense of great disquietude to himself.

This much is certain, as testified by the legends and types of her coins, Antonine lavished every honour upon her, both during life and after her death. Faustina gave her husband two sons; MarcusGalerius Antoninus, whose name is known to us only through the medium of a Greekimperial coin, engraved in the Inconographie Romaine, p 63; and Marcus Aurelius Fulvis Antoninus, known solely from the inscription published by Pagi (v Crit. Baron. ad AD 161); also two daughters, Aureli Fadilla, married to Lamia Syllanus, who was already dead when her father set out for his government of Asia, under Hadrian. The other daughter was Faustina Junior, who was married to Marcus Aurelius, her cousin-german.